hummingbird ice 55

[sportster]

i'm new to the flasher thing and am looking for input on the ice 55. likes, dislikes

[kinwahkly]

pm

[75ft Arborist]

i was going to get one, but heard they cant pick up your jigs in deeper water. I might think about the Marcum LX5. At least thats what everyone is saying

[kinwahkly]

Mine picks up small jigs very well, I was at Spray last weekend and I dropped a single maggot down the hole in 60 feet of water and it was picked up by my flasher all the way to the bottom, very powerful

[CanadianEh]

I have a Marcum LX-5 and I have to say I love it. I have not used any other flashers, but I have done LOTS and LOTS of research about them. and pretty much the consensus is that for all around features, quality and power for a good price the marcum usually comes out on top.

I did look at the hummingbird quite a bit, and i love the look of the unit and the display. 6 color looks great.

I used my lx-5 today and it halped us land 6 nice bull trout. 3 of which were hooked in about 45 FOW when bottom was 70 feet. it picked them up and was able to reel up to get them to bite.

[pikester]

Mine picks up small jigs very well, I was at Spray last weekend and I dropped a single maggot down the hole in 60 feet of water and it was picked up by my flasher all the way to the bottom, very powerful

Had that happen to me last weekend too, without a hook in it! How painful it is to watch that maggot head to the bottom at the speed of a snail just knowing that somewhere along the way something was going to slurp it in!

[pikester]

i'm new to the flasher thing and am looking for input on the ice 55. likes, dislikes


Humminbird v.s. Marcum v.s. Vexilar v.s. sonar is a topic which has been discussed at length several times on this (& any other fishing forum) so there should be archived info available. I love my Ice 55 but lots of guys have glowing reports about other brands. Obviously anything a person can afford in the way of electronics is a huge step beyond not having anything at all so no matter what you end up with you should be happy. Lets face it, if you're going to drop $400-$600 on a piece of equipment the size of a soccerball (or less), it darn well better kick arse!

[Ken07AOVette]

why would you choose this over a camera?

[CanadianEh]

easy easy answer.

the camera is cool to see exactly what is going on, but you have to have a cable tethered all the way to the bottom. and when you are out catching big fish, they can wrap the cable easy.

another reason is that the flasher sees the WHOLE water column under your feet. so if you are fishing in 40 FOW, and something swims by at 21 feet, you can reel up and try nail the one at 21 feet. with the camera you wouldnt even know about the guy cruising at 21 feet as you are staring at your jig on the bottom.

[Mudslide]

Reeds has the Marcum lx5 on sale for 429.00 US$ Good people to deal with, great unit.
http://www.reedssports.com/Category/main.taf?cat=2214

[MDG]

I've fished with the vexilar flashers and really like them but was wondering what you guys think about regular sonar electronics for ice fishing? (same screen type as electronics in your boat) I'm also new to these and thinking of buying.Anything you guys can tell me would be appreciated.Also would like to know what people think of that new Showdown digital fishfinder? I think its basically a vertical flasher.

[Hunter Trav]

I got myself the Lowrance X-67-C this year and I really like it. Its full color, and it has the flasher setting on it or you can use regular sonar, which has a great zoom feature BTW. I tend to fish the flasher screen the most, but sometimes on a weedy bottom, I like to use the sonar mode as its easier to pick out the ones hiding in the weeds. I can also use it on the boat in the summer time which is why I wanted this particular unit. Definately worth looking at IMO.

[Ken07AOVette]

what would be the chance of one of you guys taking a little video of your sonar/flasher and posting it on here, so I (we) can see how you are using them? I have looked and there is really nothing that shows or describes what they do.
If you said "see here at 20 feet this is a fish" or whatever it would be appreciated.
I guess another question would be, why a flasher and not a fish finder? I know a lot of FF's are bogus, I have a buddy that was seeing fish in his dugout, where there are 100% no fish.

[pikester]

what would be the chance of one of you guys taking a little video of your sonar/flasher and posting it on here, so I (we) can see how you are using them? I have looked and there is really nothing that shows or describes what they do.
If you said "see here at 20 feet this is a fish" or whatever it would be appreciated.
I guess another question would be, why a flasher and not a fish finder? I know a lot of FF's are bogus, I have a buddy that was seeing fish in his dugout, where there are 100% no fish.

Ken, if I get out this weekend i will try a video of my flasher. I have meant to do it before, problem is I get so carried away with watching the flasher & fishing that when something does show up on the screen, I totally forget about videoing! Will try anyway. In reference to sonars showing phantom fish, yes it happens often but you can reduce that problem by switching off the "fish ID" feature.

[Ken07AOVette]

Ken, if I get out this weekend i will try a video of my flasher. I have meant to do it before, problem is I get so carried away with watching the flasher & fishing that when something does show up on the screen, I totally forget about videoing! Will try anyway. In reference to sonars showing phantom fish, yes it happens often but you can reduce that problem by switching off the "fish ID" feature.

Very cool, thanks. "thumbs up"

[dodger]

Would there be much of a difference between the Humminbird 55 to the cheaper 35 model in a lake no deeper than 40' ??
Dodger.

[Ken07AOVette]

and, why a flasher with only a line or led lit up, when a fishfinder shows everything underneath?

[Walleyeman]

I just bought the ICE 55 last week and it excellent,it takes a bit to get used to but is well worth the $$$

[Ken07AOVette]

I just bought the ICE 55 last week and it excellent,it takes a bit to get used to but is well worth the $$$

s'plain please....

Why a flasher over a fishfinder?

[CanadianEh]

Flasher vs standard fish finder...

I m not sur ebaout the technology difference, but i can see the difference. A flasher is instantaneous. ie. I jig my rod up and down and you can see the line moving at pretty much the exact same time. with a fish finder becasue it is side scrolling, it kind shows you what happened several seconds ago.

Also from what I have been told and read, a flasher can distinguish seperation between objects to 1/2" and can visibly see your tiny jig. traditional sonar not so much.

ill try take a quick video to show you how...

[pikester]

and, why a flasher with only a line or led lit up, when a fishfinder shows everything underneath?

Ken, the lines on a flasher are more than just a red line. The bottom shows usually as only a solid red line if the bottom is very hard & there is no muck or weeds. A softer bottom will show as red layered with a little green. A soft bottom with weeds will show as red with some blue & a thicker band of green.

Same with the fish. When a fish shows up moving very slow or sitting still it will show as a blue or green band layered with a little yellow. If that fish starts moving quickly or is about to strike your bait that green/yellow band will switch to red/ yellow (I think).

It's kind of hard to explain without having the flasher in front of you but generally speaking, you can figure out fairly quickly what the bottom composition is, where the fish are, how they are acting, how quickly or slowly they are moving, & when they are about to attack your bait! Hope this helps.

[Ken07AOVette]

Flasher vs standard fish finder...

I m not sur ebaout the technology difference, but i can see the difference. A flasher is instantaneous. ie. I jig my rod up and down and you can see the line moving at pretty much the exact same time. with a fish finder becasue it is side scrolling, it kind shows you what happened several seconds ago.

Also from what I have been told and read, a flasher can distinguish seperation between objects to 1/2" and can visibly see your tiny jig. traditional sonar not so much.

ill try take a quick video to show you how...

Ken, the lines on a flasher are more than just a red line. The bottom shows usually as only a solid red line if the bottom is very hard & there is no muck or weeds. A softer bottom will show as red layered with a little green. A soft bottom with weeds will show as red with some blue & a thicker band of green.

Same with the fish. When a fish shows up moving very slow or sitting still it will show as a blue or green band layered with a little yellow. If that fish starts moving quickly or is about to strike your bait that green/yellow band will switch to red/ yellow (I think).

It's kind of hard to explain without having the flasher in front of you but generally speaking, you can figure out fairly quickly what the bottom composition is, where the fish are, how they are acting, how quickly or slowly they are moving, & when they are about to attack your bait! Hope this helps.

Definately helps, thanks guys.
I have a fishfinder already in the boat, but would like either a flasher or a camera, just trying to find out where the best money is spent.
I have used fishfinders for years, and played with a camera for the first time this winter, which was very cool. Since guys seem to swear by the flashers, I was thinking of the 3rd alternative.

[pikester]

There's no question cameras have their place like when drilling tons of holes across a shallow flat & trying to find a few rocks or weeds on an otherwise barren terrain, or when marking fish in shallow water & you want a quick ID.

My flasher has already helped me catch at least a dozen fish that I normally wouldn't have as well as saving me from 2 skunkings & only shake my head thinking about all the trips over the last few years that could have been way more successful if I would have had a flasher then:rolleyes:.

[CanadianEh]

ok this is my first try at posting a video.. but here is a quick run down of the Marcum lx-5. in the video the colors dont show up like they do in real life... and the video makes the bars like all funny, in real life they are sharp and dont really disappear every second liek they do in the video.

P.S. I agree with Pikester above, A camera definitely has the advantage and is fantastic for shallow water jigging, even at its widest the 20 degree cone angle of the flasher will only show you roughly a 3.5 foot diameter area of bottom and less towards surface. where a flasher comes into its own in my opinion is 15+ FOW. especially for deeper lakes in the 60-70 range,

Click Here to Watch the Video (http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af148/canadianfish/?action=view&current=HDV_0038.flv)

[AlbertaAngler]

For Ken

Vexilar video (http://icefishingtoday.com/pages/web_extra_zoom_zone_fish_action.php)

Not that I'm endorseing Vexilar I just think you will find the video handy. I personally use a cheap humminbird portable fishfinder and while I have no doubt a flasher would be best the little unit tells me everything I need to know. I personally see little to no lag on the screen, when I left my lure it goes up on the screen (I have the scroll rate set to maximum)

[CNR]

I don't think it matters what brand of flasher you buy...its 50X better than having NO flasher! Bought my first flasher last week a Hummingbird ice 55 and its great IMO.

[Ken07AOVette]

Very cool guys!

Thanks so much.

Let's see, now to round up some stuff to sell so I can go buy a flasher....:D

[CanadianEh]

absolutly nothing wrong with the Marcum LX-3TC. i think it is on for 379 or somnthing like that at basspro. you can go there and actually turn it on to see how it works.

[Hunter Trav]

Flasher vs standard fish finder...

I m not sur ebaout the technology difference, but i can see the difference. A flasher is instantaneous. ie. I jig my rod up and down and you can see the line moving at pretty much the exact same time. with a fish finder becasue it is side scrolling, it kind shows you what happened several seconds ago.

Also from what I have been told and read, a flasher can distinguish seperation between objects to 1/2" and can visibly see your tiny jig. traditional sonar not so much.

ill try take a quick video to show you how...

This really isn't true, maybe if your talking older sonar technology sure, but my X-67 is real time in sonar as well as flasher mode. You just have to make sure your ping speed is turned all the way up is all. And yes it does show you a bit of history, but sometimes thats nice cause if your attention is away from the flasher for a couple seconds, you might miss a fish that cruised by, but with the sonar you'll see that he was there, and will know the depth to jig at for him. Oh, and when jigging tiny jigs, my sonar will show if my bait is still on the hook as well. Its common for guys who haven't seen or used the newer sonar unit to tell guys these things, when the reality is they have come a long ways. What is prefered by one one may not be liked by another, and I think its important for people to know the truth about everything that availble to them. :)

[MDG]

OK, and this X-67 is for ice fishing? I heard the new ones use better technology and are better in cold weather too.

[Hunter Trav]

OK, and this X-67 is for ice fishing? I heard the new ones use better technology and are better in cold weather too.

Yes, you can use it for both. You have to get the ice machine package for on the ice, which includes a soft pack, battery, and soft case. The to use it in the summer you just need to buy the boat transducer. So far cold weather hasn't affected it, battery life is very good, and supposedly better than most flashers as far as longevity...

[wildhorse]

Hummingbird Ice-55 How good is this unit in severce cold -20 or so? Any problems with the LCD display at this temp.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Hummingbird Ice-55 How good is this unit in severce cold -20 or so? Any problems with the LCD display at this temp.

i used mine out on the ice in the dark on pigeon when it was like -30 with the winds, hoping hole to hole the backlight keeps things warm, no function failure.

Ice-55 is golden, wont icefish with out it.

[Kim473]

I have the 45 and its great. no problems at all -20 battery lasts all day for me.

[Alberta Bigbore]

btw, some flashers cant be right beside another down a hole. I had the opportunity to use myHumminbirdice ICE-55 beside a Marcum LX-5........ In the same tent, and mine never skipped a beat, where as the marcum lx-5 was going berzerk

[bobalong]

I think the zoom feature is what I find the biggest advantage, the ability to zoom one portion of the screen on one side while still having the ability to watch the full water column on the other side is the biggest advantage. I have never used an x-67C on the ice, so dont know if it has this same capability as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v45/bobalong/Ice%20Fishing%2006-07/VX-1.jpg

[SCRUB]

btw, some flashers cant be right beside another down a hole. I had the opportunity to use myHumminbirdice ICE-55 beside a Marcum LX-5........ In the same tent, and mine never skipped a beat, where as the marcum lx-5 was going berzerk

I believe that marcum has a noise blocker on their units to prevent that from happening. I'm buying one this year just have to make up my mind from ice 55, Lx-5 or showdown.... still trying to decide.

[nicemustang]

btw, some flashers cant be right beside another down a hole. I had the opportunity to use myHumminbirdice ICE-55 beside a Marcum LX-5........ In the same tent, and mine never skipped a beat, where as the marcum lx-5 was going berzerk

Inexperience on the marcum user. They have noice canceling that has to be tuned. Marcum IMO is a far better product.

[nicemustang]

I have the marcum lx-3. I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between the lx-3 and 5 but for what i've seen i don't need anything more than the 3. I love my and can't fish without it.

I also love the idea of the showdown but it was really hard to find here in Calgary. I would have bought it last year if i could have found it. People say its awesome but I do love my marcum.

[Izumi]

Inexperience on the marcum user. They have noice canceling that has to be tuned. Marcum IMO is a far better product.

The Marcum and the Humminbird are on different frequecies. There should be no issues between the two. The only thing Humminbirds need to worry about are other birds. Marcum and Vexilars are on the same frequency so there is problems there too.

Do have any reasons why you like the Marcum better? I have an Ice-55 but have never seen the Marcum in action.

[nicemustang]

I've only seen them side by side once for a short period of time, was a ice-45 though. My marcum was faster response, cleaner signal, and a better zoom feature with greater accuracy. But again, I don't know too much about the others. The marcum lx-3 was on sale, i've seen it in action and liked it, so I bought it and LOVE it. So i'm not sure on what is better and why.

[Braun]

OK, and this X-67 is for ice fishing? I heard the new ones use better technology and are better in cold weather too.

its a lawrence compact fishfinder.

[npauls]

Now you guys are making it an even harder decision for me. My fishing partner is telling me to go with a vexilar but from what I can see, they are the most expensive of the 3 main flashers and have the fewest features for the money spent. I was looking at a ice 55 but it is kind of pricey for me so I found a really good deal on the ice 45 and then I was looking at the marcums also. I may be able to get one of them on sale. I really like the features of the ice 45 but have never tried any of the flashers so it is all up in the air right now.


Nate

[Kim473]

I have the ice 45 and i'm happy with it. I have never seen the others in action tho to compare.

[Izumi]

Now you guys are making it an even harder decision for me. My fishing partner is telling me to go with a vexilar but from what I can see, they are the most expensive of the 3 main flashers and have the fewest features for the money spent. I was looking at a ice 55 but it is kind of pricey for me so I found a really good deal on the ice 45 and then I was looking at the marcums also. I may be able to get one of them on sale. I really like the features of the ice 45 but have never tried any of the flashers so it is all up in the air right now.


Nate

I had a hard time shelling out for the ICE-55 but here iss what made the decision for me.

Using wholesale as an example the
ICE 45 is $459.95 and the
ICE-55 is $549.95
for a difference of 90$.

The catch is the ICE-45 has no case. You will likely want a case if you want it to last( I'm pretty sure all the Marcums come with casses too). So throw on an extra 60$ onto the price of ICE-45. The ICE-55 comes with one. So that reduces the price difference to just 30$.

So for 30$ more, you get 6 colours and more power with the ICE-55. Made the decision easy for me, 30$ is a drop in the hat when you are already putting down 500$.

[npauls]

The only difference for me is that the ice 45 is $300 shipped to my door and the cheapest I could find the ice 55 was $460 plus shipping so there is a huge price difference right there. I probably won't need the case since I have a big tote that I store everything in that sits in my flip over hut sled and has my seat mounted to it. I just can't justify paying almost $200 more after shipping for a case and 6 colors instead of 3. I know there is a couple other options on the 55 that the 45 don't have but i won't use most of them anyways.

I think I will be going with a mid grade flasher since the price is within range. I just am not sure if I should look more into the marcum or order the ice 45 right away.

Nate

[Kim473]

Look at them all at dif places. I find there can be a lot of price difs from store to store when i bought mine last year. finnaly Whole sale had them on sale after xmas about early to mid Jan. Think it was less than $300 for the 45. Look for cams there in early april for sale prices. Were cheaper than Fishing Hole.

[pikester]

Now you guys are making it an even harder decision for me. My fishing partner is telling me to go with a vexilar but from what I can see, they are the most expensive of the 3 main flashers and have the fewest features for the money spent. I was looking at a ice 55 but it is kind of pricey for me so I found a really good deal on the ice 45 and then I was looking at the marcums also. I may be able to get one of them on sale. I really like the features of the ice 45 but have never tried any of the flashers so it is all up in the air right now.


Nate

Here's one way to look at it; no matter what you buy it's gonna be 50X better than having no electronics at all! If you're really concernrd about getting exactly the machine you want then you should hold off buying anything until you've had a chance to see the units in action on the ice. Flasher/ sonar units are so common now that there will always be someone nearby with with one & they will likely let you take a look at how they work. Or wait til the next AO ice fishing get together then you will probably get to see several different brands in action :)

[SCRUB]

there is a rebate for $55 on a ice 55 purchase right now http://store.humminbird.com/media/document/ICE55.pdf

There is also a $50 rebate on marcum LX-5 $25 on showdown http://www.marcumtech.com/pdf/offer_fall2010.pdf

[slingshotz]

Yup, we usually head out to one or all the AO gatherings and I have a ICE-55 which I love that I'd be more than happy to show anyone. Only problem is that the wife and I have to fight over who gets to use it. I'd like to get a Fish TV for those cases :)

[npauls]

I have a fish tv that I won't be using anymore once I get my flasher. The cheapest I have seen an ice 45 is the $300 shipped and the cheapest I have seen the ice 55 was $460 shipped. I am pretty sure I will be ordering the ice 45 over the weekend. I want to have one before first ice.


nate

[Mudslide]

I own the Marcum Lx-5 and love love love it! The only thing it does not have that I would like is a digital depth readout like the Humminbirds. Here are the stats.
LX-5
Dual beam transducer
Cone angles: 8° or 20°
Power level: 2500 watts peak to peak
Interference rejection: 12 levels (steps)
Zoom: Adjustable anywhere in water column. 5' or 10' zoom in 20' or 40' range, 10' or 20' zoom in 80' range, 20' or 40' zoom in 160' range
Target separation: 2.15" in regular mode, 3/4" with SuperFine line turned on(this is achieved without having to turn on zoom), Zoom target separation is 3/4".
Transmit frequency: 200 KHz
“New” 2010 models Snow Shield face plate included
“New” 2010 models 12V 9amp Battery Included
(A Fully charged 7 amp battery should last 16 to 20 hours of continuous use).
Fantastic Battery charger: 1 amp Digital charging system(DCS) with LCD readout showing battery charge percentage in 10% increments. Automatic 3 stage charger(bulk rate, absorption, and trickle charge)
Display colors: 3 color with 3 separate (true color) LED's. Red = strong signal, Green = medium strength signal, Yellow = weak signal.
Depth ranges: 0 - 160 feet, 4 settings: 20', 40', 80', 160'
Cases: Comes standard with a weather resistant, embroidered, padded, soft pack carry case on a plastic shuttle with gimble bracket and adjustable transducer arm.
Warranty: 2 years
Miscellaneous: Can be set up for use on open water with optional high speed transducer or puck transducer.
Has a built in simulator that shows a simulated bottom, fish, and moving lure.
SuperFine Line (SFL) allows you to improve your target separation while viewing the entire water column.
This new patent pending TruColor display eliminates the blending of two colors to make a third and results in an ultra crisp display that greatly enhances target identification. Small compact profile.

Not very impressed with the look and feel of the showdown (In demo mode anyway) (Bass Pro has one out). It would be better if it was color. The stats are impressive with 8,000 watts and a 1/2 inch target separation but you give up the split zoom screen which lets you watch the entire water column on one side while concentrating on the zoomed in section on the other. I may buy one to try out this year but if I had to choose just one, it's
Hard to beat the Marcum with a 3/4 inch target separation, spit screen and color.

The birds are decent (love the digital read out) but no case and a 2.5 inch target separation is a drag.

[Kim473]

One note! Checked lots of threads on flashers before I got one. The humming birds, people at cold lake that used them could see there hook at 100' but other flashers were not as good as deep to do that. So if u fish really deep get the humming bird.

[nicemustang]

One note! Checked lots of threads on flashers before I got one. The humming birds, people at cold lake that used them could see there hook at 100' but other flashers were not as good as deep to do that. So if u fish really deep get the humming bird.

That's not true. I can see a 3/8 jig head 120 feet down at spray lake with my marcum.

[CMMahy]

Quick question for the Humminbird Guys, have you noticed any interference issues between two or more Humminbird units fishing together, or even close by? That's about the only negative that I've been able to gather from other forums, they're unaffected by other brands, but don't play well together. Some guys say it was un-bearable and they weren't able to cancel it out, while others say it's never been an issue, just wondering if it's been an problem for guys who have used them on Alberta lakes.

I'll be fishing my Vex FL-8SE one more season before stepping up to a unit with the bottom zoom and a multi-beam transducer. Right now it's a toss-up between the new Vexilar FL-22HD and the ICE-55 (I like the marcum LX-5's fine line detail, but the screen's are just way too small for that price), the ICE-55 having the edge at being able to read deeper than 60'.

[slingshotz]

I don't know anyone else that has a Hummingbird to test with mine but at all our AO gatherings it's never had had issue with other flashers nearby. I'm not sure if any other AO member had a Hummingbird out at the same time as mine though.

[npauls]

Well I pulled the trigger and ordered an ice 45 last night. Got it for dirt cheap and it should be here in a few weeks. I will have that thing on the ice every weekend and any weekdays I get off.


Nate

[Kim473]

Congrates! Think you will be happy with it. I am. How much $ ?

[npauls]

$312 shipped to my door brand new. I think my fishing partner is more excited to check it out then I am. Those fish better look out with me and my buddy roaming around with an ice 45 and lx-3. We also have some underwater cams so they pretty much don't have a chance if we find them.


Nate

[Kim473]

$312 shipped to my door brand new. I think my fishing partner is more excited to check it out then I am. Those fish better look out with me and my buddy roaming around with an ice 45 and lx-3. We also have some underwater cams so they pretty much don't have a chance if we find them.


Nate

You just better go to a lake that has fish! With all those eyes under the ice, no excuse to not catch a few for dinner. Try explaining that to the better half. Don't brag to her about being able to get more fish now, and not! Results speek a thousand words. Nice price. Think mine increased my hook by 10% but did'nt increase my catch, you still gotta get them on the ice. The nice thing about them is you know there is fish in that spot or not in a few mins. So your not waisting time in a dry hole or your hook and bait is not quite right to make them bite. Either move or change hooks.